By: Palika Deva-Singh
In 2019, few people worried about a novel coronavirus—until it changed the world. Now, another virus, HMPV, is spreading under the radar. Could history be repeating itself?
First identified in the Netherlands in 2001, HMPV spreads through direct contact between people, or when someone touches a contaminated surface. The virus leads to a mild upper respiratory tract infection for most people. It is usually almost indistinguishable from flu. Symptoms for most people include a cough, a fever and blocked nose. (Ng, 2025)
Fears of a COVID-19 pandemic are overwhelming, yet experts say that such events are typically caused by new viruses. Fortunately, HMPV is not new and has been present for decades.
This means people across the world have “some degree of existing immunity due to previous exposure”, Dr Hsu said. (Ng, 2025) Although HMPV does not pose a threat to society as deeply as COVID-19 health officials have recommended safety precautions to not contract HMPV. Such as wearing a mask in crowded places, avoiding crowds where possible if you are at higher risk of more severe illness, washing your hands regularly, and disposing of tissues securely. Although there is exhaustive information that HMPV will not turn into a COVID-19-like pandemic, people are still worried as it is spreading throughout China.
Like many respiratory infections, HMPV is most active during late winter and spring. This is because viruses survive better in the cold, and can pass more easily from one person to another as people spend more time indoors with closed windows. In northern China, the current HMPV spike coincides with low temperatures that are expected to last until March. Many other countries in the northern hemisphere – including the US – are also experiencing a growth in rates of HMPV, said Jacqueline Stephens, an epidemiologist at Flinders University in Australia. “While this is concerning, the increased prevalence is likely the normal seasonal increase seen in winter,” she said. (Ng, 2025)
As such, the authoritative research shows we won’t have to worry about a repeat of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bibliography
Houston, Muiris. “What Is HMPV, Is It in Ireland, and How Worried Should We Be?” The Irish Times, 13 Jan. 2025,
www.irishtimes.com/health/your-wellness/2025/01/13/what-is-hmpv-is-it-in-ireland-and-how-worried-should-we-be/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Ng, Kelly. “HMPV: What to Know about China’s Human Metapneumovirus Cases.” BBC, 7 Jan. 2025, www.bbc.com/news/articles/c23vjg7v7k0o.